Concepts
of Arthur was published by Tempus in 2007 under a former nom de plume (288
pp, ISBN 978-0-7524-4461-1). It is a detailed study of the ultimate
origins of Arthur and the nature and development of the early Arthurian
legend, presenting a comprehensive overview of recent scholarship,
including the author's own academic research into the sources of the
early Arthurian tradition.

“‘Concepts
of
Arthur’ is that rare thing: a
book that offers an original and refocused view of the nature of
Arthur... Green’s concept of an original mythic Arthur is well
presented and cogently argued... a richly-nuanced view of the nature of
Arthur that will stir deeper study”
(Arthuriana: The Journal of Arthurian Studies)

“‘Concepts
of Arthur’ provides an exhaustive examination of the entire
pre-Galfridian Arthurian corpus... Green painstakingly examines
previous scholarly debate for or against Arthur's historicity,
vigorously challenging the supposed historical value of all
pre-Galfridian Arthurian references... valuable to anyone studying the
Arthurian legend for its very vigorous and comprehensive discussion of
all previous scholarship on the historicity of Arthur and for the
painstakingly detailed and imaginative exploration of the early
folkloric and legendary concept of Arthur, especially in sources such
as ‘Preideu Annwfyn’ and ‘Pa gur yv y porthaur?’”(Speculum: the Journal
of the Medieval Academy of America)

“In
this thorough re-evaluation, and with impeccable command of sources and
scholarship, Green situates Arthur in the realm of folklore... the goal
here is to ‘question the fundamental assumptions’ underlying ‘most
theories of historical Arthur’. Indeed, Green delivers this in seven
chapters, copious notes, and a comprehensive bibliography... this
monograph [is] a welcome addition to a twenty-first-century
academic flurry”(Folklore: the
Journal of the Folklore Society)

“Demanding but very important”(Simon
Young, author of The
Celtic Sources of the Arthurian Legend and The Celtic Revolution)

“There have to be pressing reasons for
the enthusiast to add yet another Arthurian title to their groaning
bookshelves, but I think this one has them in spades. It follows the
growing scholarly trend to treat the idea of an historical Arthur
seriously, even if it means ultimately demolishing the case for a real
Arthur... Green persuasively argues that there never was such
a prototype historical figure”(Northern Earth)

“‘Concepts
of Arthur’ is an inspiring read which does not disappoint those who
want a satisfying contextualising of disparate evidence.” (Pendragon)

“A
meticulously researched study, which for once doesn’t claim to have
discovered the ‘real’ King Arthur, but examines the non-Galfridian
sources in depth, aiming to get as close to their origin as possible...
Pitched at a more academic level than many Arthur books, this is a
rigorous and stimulating read.” (Oxbow Book News)

Fundamentally, Concepts of
Arthur provides an analysis of the entire
non-Galfridian Arthurian legend. Unlike many previous studies of
Arthur, it avoids a priori assumptions about the
origin and development of the Arthurian legend, preferring to argue
from first principles. Most importantly, it considers the 'historical
Arthur' as a genuine part of the tradition itself, to be treated
alongside – and not artificially separated from – all the rest of the
early source material. By viewing the 'historical Arthur' in
the context of the body of material of which he is a part, significant
advances in our understanding of the nature of Arthurian legend are
possible – particularly when recent research into the reliability and
nature of the supposedly historical references to Arthur is taken into
account. As a result of all this, it is argued that Arthur is best
understood as an originally folkloric or mythical figure who
was historicized in the ninth century.

By
virtue of adopting this methodology of using all the available
non-Galfridian material – including folklore, poems, prose tales,
chronicles, histories and saints' lives – Concepts
also provides an exhaustive guide to the entire corpus of early
Arthurian material and its significance. For example, full analyses of
Arthur's role as the defender of Britain from all threats and of his
intimate connection with the Otherworld form an essential and central
part of this study. These are both topics that have been rarely
seriously investigated since the widespread assumption of Arthur's
historicity became de rigueur in the
mid-twentieth century, leading to many of even the best studies
devoting all their efforts to those few sources that obviously view
Arthur as historical. Similarly it is argued that efforts to understand
the origins and implications of the name Arthur
have been hampered by this same assumption of historicity – a
new approach to these issues is, as a result, offered in chapter five
of Concepts.

These
new insights mean that, finally, some intriguing possibilities can be
offered for the ultimate origins of Arthur and the tales told of him.
If Arthur was not originally historical, how did the concept of Arthur
as a post-Roman war-leader emerge and grow? Who, if anyone, was it
ultimately based around, and where might he have operated? Was any
original non-historical Arthur simply conceived of as a fictional
creature of folklore and popular myth, or have we been too ready to
reject any notion of truly mythological genesis for him? If so, can
anything sensible be said of this beyond noting its possibility,
without veering off into the realms of untrammelled speculation? Such
questions can only be approached with caution, but it is argued that
the new perspectives on the Arthurian legend pursued in the main body
of the study can allow at least some tentative answers and suggestions
to be offered.